Lens shutter with combined exposure meter, view finder and distance meter



May 21 1935 A. GAUTHIER Er A1. 2,001,840

LENS SHUTTER WITH COMBINED EXPOSURE METER, VIEW FINDER, AND DISTANCE 'METER Fim Amr. 15, 1931 2 sheets-Sheet 1 @JJM l M AKG-f7 May 21, 1935. A. GAUTHIER r-:r Al. 2,001,840

LENS SHUTTER WITH COMBINED EXPOSURE METER, VIEW FINDER, AND DISTANCE METER Filed Aug. l5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LA l um..

Patented May 21, 1935 LENSSHUTTIIWITHCO EXPO- MBINED SUB! METER. VIEW FINDER AND DIS- TANCB um Alfred Gauthier, Calmbaeh-Enl, and Karl Bhrle, Holen-Ens, Germany Application August 15,

In Germany 1Clalm.

This invention relates to a lens shutter, a combined exposure meter, view nnder and distance meter in such a manner that the adjusting elements oi the exposure meter are positively cons nected with the devices oi the shutter regulating the exposure and the adjustment oi the diaphragm In the known constructions the positive connection oi the shutter adjusting elements with the regulating elements oi the exposure shutter is eilected by intermediate members, which however results in a considerable enlargement of the shutter so that it is not suitable for use in modern cameras. A further objection oi the known constructions consists in that irrespective oi whether a single ground glass section is provided for all observations or a separate section for measuring the exposure is provided on the common ground glass screen, always one and the same passage serves at the same time for admitting light, so that there is a continual mutual influencing o! these independent arrangements. This mutual influencing can only be avoided by separately conducting light to the two arrangements, for which purpose, however. separate light admission apertures and separate light excluding devices are necessary, it being immaterial whether separate light admission passages with separate sections on a common ground glass screen or a common light admission pesage and a light excluding device for the view finder or distance meter are provided for rendering the exposure measuring independently. This measure when employing the known means would, however, result in a further undesirable enlargement oi the dimensions ot the camera.

According to the invention only the light regulating and diaphragm elements of the exposure meter. which has only one ground glass screen in common with the view finder and distance meter and is rendered independent ot the view ilnder or distance meter by individual air admissionpassagespassingtoaseparatesectiono! the ground glass screen or by screening devices ior the view finder or distance meter, are accommodated within the shutter casing arranged concentrically around the lens, and the time adjustment disc oi the shutter is constructed as throttle element for the quantity oi light altering the exposure meter. In this manner the construction oi the camera shutter is not made larger than i! only the view iinder or distance meter alone were arranged on the shutter, which however, is general and is always taken into consideration in the dimensioning o! the camera.

1931. Serial No. 557,292 April 2, 1931 Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way oi example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows in iront elevation a lens shutter with exposure meter, view ilnder and focussing 5 meter mounted thereon and with adjustable ground glass screen and vertical optical axis.

Fig. 2 is a cross section o! Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the instrument in inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the screen.

Pig. 5 shows in top plan view the regulating device for the exposure meter.

Fig. 6 shows a further possibility ot arrangement ot the instrument on the shutter.

Figs. 'I and 8 are sectional views through the setting arrangement of the time adjusting disc for two diilerent forms ot construction.

Fig. 9 shows in part' front view -a third form o! construction of the setting arrangement with the 20 time adjusting disc removed.

Pig. 10 shows a form of construction o! the instrument according to Figs. 1 and 2, with adjustable view ilnding lens.

Figs. 1 to 9 show how an instrument combin- 25 ing an exposure meter, view tlnder and focussing meter with vertical optical axis is fitted on the shutter and cooperates therewith. The lower part 2 of the instrument is mounted on the shutter casing l and accommodates the view finder 30 mirror I, and a ring I with the view nnding lens 5. Into the upper end of the ring l a screw threaded ring 1 carrying the ground glass screen 6 is screwed. A tube I is shiftably mounted on the rings l and 1, and on this tube a cap I is shiitably mounted with the view ilnder lens I0, to enable this latter to be adjusted at a proper distance relative to the ground glass screen. The tube 8 is also rotatably connected to the ring 1 carrying the ground glass screen t, this connection being eilected for example by a pin 38 projecting from the ring 1 and engaging in a groove 39 in the tube 8. The transmission of movement may, however, be eii'ected by friction between the tube I and the ring 1. An admission aperture li is provided in the shutter casing for the light intended for the exposure measuring and can be brought into register with the holes il, provided in the time adjustment disc I2 graded according to the diiierent exposure times and corresponding thereto. Opposite the aperture Il and holes I3 a mirror I5, arranged in a stationary cylinder I4, is situated and deects the light, falling on to the ground glass screen t from the outside through a triangular gap I6 55 provided in the cylinder Il. Around this stationary cylinder I 4 a cylinder I1 is rotatably mounted which, through the intermediary oi a pin I8 guided in a slot I9 of the diaphragm plate disc 20, is turned relative to the stationary cylindei` I4 during the turning of the diaphragm disc 2U, and its triangular gap I6 is thus more or less exposed by shifting the aperture 2| ot the cylinder I 1 (Fig. 5). In order that the holes I3 in the time adjusting disc when this is being rotated register exactly with the light admission aperture i without it being necessary to use the eye for this purpose, a setting mechanism coacting with the time adjusting disc is provided which can be constructed in various manners. According to Fig. 7 notches 22 are provided in the time adjusting disc i2 which correspond to the several time adjustments. A ball, pressed against the disc I2 by a spring 23 mounted in the casing I, oscillatably engages with one of these notches.- A cover plate 24, fixed in known manner to the casing I by screws 25, affords the necessary support for the time disci 2 rotatably mounted on the lens support 2i and has a light admission aperture 27.

Fig. 8 shows a modiiied form of construction of the setting mechanism, wherein the ball is replaced by a knob fixed on a blade spring 2l. A further form of construction oi the setting medianism is illustrated in Fig. 9 and consists of a lever 3B oscillatably mounted in an annular space of the shutter casing I, provided with notches 29 and pressed by means of a spring l I continually against a pin 32 of a time adjusting disc, resiliently engaging in the notches 29 correspondingl to the different time adjustments. 'I'his notch lever 3U may, providing the notches are arranged in a suitable curve, serve at the same time as a blocking lever for a preliminary clockwork mechanism in the shutter in the event of certain time adjustments. 'I'he holes I3 in the time adjusting disc may also be replaced by a conical slot, in which case the setting mechanism is omitted. The adjustment of the quantity oi.' light passing into the exposure meter may also be effected by a conical slot in the diaphragm disc.

The operation is as follows:-

If it is desired to take a. photograph, the tube 8 and the cap 9, which in inoperative position are pushed in, as shown in Fig. 3, are pulled out until the grain of the focussing screen appears sharp to the eye of the observer. The camera is then adjusted to the object to be photographed with the aid oi the view iinder. 'I'he distance oi the object from the camera is measured by sharply adjusting its image reflected on the ground glass screen by turning the screw threaded ring 1, that is by shitting the screen with the aid of the knurled tube l. After this has been effected, the hand Il fixed on the min-or l immediately indicates on the scale 34 of the screen the focus to which the camera must be adjusted. The exposure meter is adjusted after or before the focussing. This is eected by regulating according to the time adjustment the quantity of light passing in through the apertures 21, Il, II and projected against the ground glass screen I5 by the mirror II and consequently the cylinder I1, which covers the aperture I8 more or less, so that the black line 38 on, the ground glass screen just disappears. In Fig. the view finding lens l is not rigidly mounted in the tube I, but in a screw threaded ring I1, the turning of which results in a charming of the distance between the lens 5 and the mirror 3. 'I'he ground glass screen 6 is rigidly nxed in the ring 4 by its ring 1. The finder picture is consequently set sharp in this instance by turning the screw threaded ring 31 for the purpose of measuring the distance, a scale which shows the degree of turning of the ring l1 indicating the focus to be set. Owing to the fact that the ground glass screen is stationary and does not litt, as in the foregoing forms of construction, oiI the wall separating the nder and the exposure meter, during the distance measuring, the danger ot the light rays of the view finder coming into the exposure meter and iniluencing its measuring result, is avoided.

A lens shutter with combined exposure meter and view tlnder, comprising in combination with the lens, a shutter casing concentrically surrounding said lens and provided with two light passages each having a light admission aperture at one end, a common ground glass screen covering the other ends of said passages and divided into separate sections by said passages, light regulating and detlecting elements of the exposure meter arranged in one of said passages, a light deilecting element for the view nder in the other of said passages, a view finder lens in the aperture at the end of said view nder passage, and a time adjusting disc in said casing constructed as a throttle element for the quantity of light entering the aperture of said exposure meter passage.

ALFRED Glimmen. KARL BHRLE. 

